The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-16
AMONG THE MoRMoNs.

me Power which Brigham Young Erer-
cised Ov-r His Ignorant Followers
The great majority Of the Mormons
are foreigners, proselyted in. their own
country by emissaries from Utah; trans
ported by the church directly from their
own homes to Utah; kept in total igno-
rance of the vastness OF the United
States and the powers and principles of
its Government; constantly imbued
with the belief that the Mormon people
are Gods chosen; that the Mormon
church is the only true church. and to
it and its priests they must be loyal even
to the disobeying of all other laws Of
any land. Thus, the body Of people re-
main in peaceful ignorance, while, the
designing leaders have proceeded TO
clothe themselves with power, gain
unto themselves riches, and build up
an empire within republic; an empire
80 united through religious fanaticisn,
50 strong through the possession OF
money, and 30 well barricaded against
national legislation by laws the Nor
mons themselves have enacted, as citi-
zens of the Territory OF Utah, that the
General Government has found it ex-
tremely difficult to prevent polygafhous
marriages, and cuftaii the political
powers OF The church without encroach-
| ing upon the constitutional rights
of the Territory and its citizens.
OF the Mormon people, Brigham
Young was the animating spirit,
the self-pronounced prophet, ac-
cepted and obeyed by all. Never did
man in America hold such complete
one-man power Realizing religious
prejudice to be the strongest enter
tanned In the human heart, he worked
upon the feelings and passions Of the
confiding and fahatical until he had
thousands of followers who were ready
to kill the enemies of the Church" ks
his command. or at bic request to die.
Before Young's ascendancy the Nor
NOR Church was torn with discussions
and full OF troubles. He assumed
authority and held sway over church
and state. He dictated the course and
policy Of both, made the church su.
prenle and himself absolute monarch.
His knowledge of the world and hu.
man nature was clear and broad. He
was courageous, sagacious, audacious,
subtle, practical. magnetic, wickedly
selfish, possessing the manners of a
gentleman and the spirit Of d fiend.
He was native tulef; having the ele-
nehts Of great man, yet lacking the
one characteristic without which nc
man is great-iustice. No nation, nc
empire, no society, no church, no state
no life, can live in the eyes of history
as great, unless builded upon the grand
and enduring principles Of iusdce ant
truth.
The Mormon power is rapidly declin
Ing, and will soon die away. Not be
cause it is an organization established
upon religious faith, but because tina
faith does not embrace the principle
Of truth. 1t imposes injustice upon tn,
civilized world, by teaching practice
i antagonistic to the social customs o
civilization. 1t imposes injustice upol
its own members in exacting from then
unquestioned obedience to the laws o
the Mormon church, regardless of al
; other laws, ecclesiastical OF civil. !
imposes injustice upon the women o
the church by causing them to believ
that they can gain salvation onl
through husband, and that the ma
with plural wives will be exalted Il
, Heaven, while the single man will, i
the hereafter; be debased.- Spring
= field Mass. ! Republican.